Matt Pocock adds Software Factory to the AI Coding Dictionary

X postMatt PocockResource

Matt Pocock has added 'Software Factory' to the AI Coding Dictionary. Calling it the hype term of the day, he argues for using the term more accurately and discusses its boundaries alongside concepts like vibe coding and backpressure.

Key points

  1. The AI Coding Dictionary published a new entry defining 'Software Factory'.
  2. Pocock considers the term current hype and aims to establish a grounded, proper usage.
  3. In thread discussions, Pocock notes that Andrej Karpathy's original definition of vibe coding aligns with the concept of a 'Dark Factory'.
  4. Pocock points out that mechanisms like backpressure predated software factories and that definitions evolve over time.
  5. The AI Coding Dictionary offers plain-English definitions for core AI coding concepts such as Harness, MCP, Context Windows, and failure modes.

Why it matters

The AI coding landscape is flooded with buzzwords. Providing precise technical definitions helps developers separate meaningful architectural shifts from marketing hype around agentic workflows.

Analysis

Pocock uses the dictionary update to clarify terminology amid shifting industry jargon. Rather than treating every automated CI/CD pipeline or AI wrapper as a software factory, he highlights that pre-existing practices like backpressure are consequences rather than defining traits, while comparing uninspected vibe coding to fully automated dark factories.

Original post

Matt Pocock

@mattpocockuk · 24 September 2026

Shipped a new term to the AI Coding Dictionary: Software Factory It's the hype term of the day - time we started using it properly: t.co/N7PvAkhxBz

1.1k likes80 replies1.1k bookmarks114.7k views

View on X
More posts in the thread (6)
  1. @askpascalandy t.co/q5lPGYbj4z
  2. @SkrOYC Vibe coding is where you write code without looking at it. According to Karpathy's original definition. Seems to fit the definition of Dark Factory.
  3. @dexhorthy Yes, that makes sense. It's narrowing the definition rather than widening it. But to me that's a natural consequence of a factory, not the thing that defines it. I.e. we were doing back pressure before factories
  4. @cjamesmay No, since it's impossible to pin down
  5. @dexhorthy Yes, but definitions change over time. Case and point: AI
  6. @carlneilbuilds Well done, you stopped your clanker capitalizing so it looks less like slop
Selected replies (5)
  • @dexhorthy @mattpocockuk I don’t know if I agree with this definition. I thinks software factory is also inclusive of the automations that check/review/deploy anything, including human shepherded changes The whole “a loop is forward pressure AND backpressure” - the factory provides both
  • @dexhorthy @mattpocockuk I would turn that around, we’ve had factories for much longer than we’ve had AI t.co/fXyjIann0C t.co/04UWU3JA6o
  • @carlneilbuilds @mattpocockuk “software factory” only means something if you name the minimum reliable environment: scoped tools, a feedback loop that isn’t vibes, and human checkpoints that can actually stop the line. without those it’s just CI with a chat model in the middle.
  • @guansheng_ai @mattpocockuk Over the past year, AI coding has evolved through three distinct phases: Autocomplete Interactive Coding Agents Automated Dev / Software Factory A "software factory" is no longer just an AI copilot or pair programmer; it is gradually evolving into a cloud-native SDLC
  • @cjamesmay @mattpocockuk Would you consider adding "primitives"? It feels a bit buzzwordy - I think having the community agree on a definition would be useful.

Mentioned links

Links and tools from this entry

Summary generated by AI (Gemini 3.8 Flash, 27 September 2026). It may contain errors – the original source is authoritative.

Related entries

Similar in content, found by the AI search.

  • X post:Matt Pocock

    The AI Coding Dictionary: Clarifying Terminology for AI-Assisted Development

    In response to a call for shared definitions in software engineering, Matt Pocock shared 'The AI Coding Dictionary' (aihero.dev). The resource offers plain-English explanations of key AI coding concepts. In the replies, Pocock noted that he does not distinguish between a specification ('spec') and a plan.

    260bookmarks51.2kviews

    AI & LLMs· Resource

  • X post:Matt Pocock

    Matt Pocock on AI Agent Workflows and Custom Skills

    Responding to common pitfalls in agent-driven software development, Matt Pocock outlines a structured workflow utilizing specialized commands such as /wayfinder, /to-spec, and /implement-spec.

    156bookmarks14kviews

    AI & LLMs· Opinion

  • X post:cole murray

    Software Factories as a Collaboration Model

    Cole Murray argues that building a 'software factory' is not merely an engineering or tooling exercise, but fundamentally about shaping how teams within a company collaborate.

    2.3kbookmarks77.2kviews

    Web development· Opinion

Back to the knowledge base

Let's talk about your project

Get in touch

Locations

  • Mattersburg
    Johann Nepomuk Bergerstraße 7/2/14
    7210 Mattersburg, Austria
  • Vienna
    Ungargasse 64-66/3/404
    1030 Wien, Austria

Parts of this content were created with the assistance of AI.